Matthew 3
3
John Prepares the Way for Jesus
(Mk. 1:1–8; Lk. 3:1–9, 15–17; Jn. 1:19–28)
1When it was the right time, John the Baptizer began telling people a message from God. This was out in the desert area of Judea. 2John said, “Change your hearts and lives, because God’s kingdom is now very near.#3:2 is now very near Or “is coming soon” or “has come.”” 3John is the one Isaiah the prophet was talking about when he said,
“There is someone shouting in the desert:
‘Prepare the way for the Lord.
Make the road straight for him.’” Isaiah 40:3
4John’s clothes were made from camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. For food, he ate locusts and wild honey. 5People came to John from Jerusalem and the rest of Judea and from all the areas along the Jordan River. 6They confessed the bad things they had done, and John baptized them in the Jordan.
7Many Pharisees and Sadducees came to where John was baptizing people. When John saw them, he said, “You are all snakes! Who warned you to run from God’s judgment that is coming? 8Change your hearts! And show by the way you live that you have changed. 9I know what you are thinking. You want to say, ‘but Abraham is our father!’ That means nothing. I tell you, God could make children for Abraham from these rocks. 10The ax is now ready to cut down the trees.#3:10 trees The people who don’t obey God. They are like “trees” that will be cut down. Every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11“I baptize you with water to show that you have changed your hearts and lives. But there is someone coming later who is able to do more than I can. I am not good enough to be the slave who takes off his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12He will come ready to clean the grain.#3:12 clean the grain Meaning that Jesus will separate the good people from those who are bad. He will separate the good grain from the straw, and he will put the good part into his barn. Then he will burn the useless part with a fire that cannot be stopped.”
Jesus Is Baptized by John
(Mk. 1:9–11; Lk. 3:21–22)
13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River. He came to John, wanting John to baptize him. 14But John tried to stop him. John said, “Why do you come to me to be baptized? I should be baptized by you!”
15Jesus answered, “Let it be this way for now. We should do whatever God says is right.” Then John agreed.
16So Jesus was baptized. As soon as he came up out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw God’s Spirit coming down on him like a dove. 17A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the one I love. I am very pleased with him.”
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Matthew 3
3
John the Baptist Begins His Ministry
1 Now in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the Judean wilderness 2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!” 3For this is the one who was spoken about by the prophet Isaiah, saying,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.’ ”#A quotation from Isa 40:3
4Now John himself had his clothing made from camel’s hair and a belt made of leather around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan were going out to him, 6and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they#*Here “as” is supplied as a component of the participle (“confessed”) which is understood as temporal confessed their sins.
7But when he#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance! 9And do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! 10Already now the ax is positioned at the root of the trees; therefore every tree not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who comes after me is more powerful than I am, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
The Baptism of Jesus
13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John in order to be baptized by him. 14But John tried to prevent#*The imperfect verb is understood as conative (“tried to”) him, saying, “I need#Literally “I have need” to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15But Jesus answered and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb said to him, “Permit it now, for in this way it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted him. 16Now after he#*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“was baptized”) which is understood as temporal was baptized, Jesus immediately went up from the water, and behold, the heavens opened#Some manuscripts have “opened to him” and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove coming#Some manuscripts have “and coming” upon him. 17And behold, there was#The words “there was” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to make a complete sentence in English a voice from heaven saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
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